Between 1,200 and 1,300 non-unionized container truckers are refusing to work at Port Metro Vancouver to protest long waiting times and low rates. Their unionized counterparts plan a strike vote unless a mediator can be brought in to resolve the issues.

“This will have a very serious impact on port operations in a very short period of time,” said Peter Xotta, the port’s vice-president of planning and operations, noting that trucking represents about half of all activity at PMV and that trucks handle roughly 50 per cent of all containers.

“If 50 per cent of the traffic to and from the marine terminal is by truck, it will be days rather than weeks before it will be difficult for that terminal to operate efficiently and they’ll have inventory stored there that can’t be removed from the facility. So congestion is the result, and it will (result in) folks redirecting cargo to other ports if they have that capability. That’s why this issue needs to be resolved as quickly as possible.

“We’re seeing very little truck activity at port facilities.”

The withdrawal of services at Canada’s biggest port by members of the United Truckers Association will potentially affect operations at Vanterm in Burrard Inlet, and Deltaport and Fraser Surrey Docks south of Vancouver.

In 2005, a 47-day work stoppage by port truckers over the same issues cost the economy an estimated $400 million.

Unifor, the union representing a majority of the unionized truckers at the Port Metro Vancouver, called on the port and the provincial government to bring in top labour mediator Vince Ready to sit down with both parties and find a resolution.

A strike by unionized drivers would take another 400 trucks off the road.

Xotta said he hadn’t heard about Unifor calling on Ready to be involved, but noted that the port’s reputation could suffer if the dispute isn’t soon resolved.

“It’s safe to say that in the transportation and goods movement business, reliability is a very important factor and we will always be concerned about anything that impacts reliability and our reputation. The suggestion of disruption has an impact. The reality of one exacerbates that. I would say the minute this happens it’s beginning to impact our reputation.”

Xotta offered little hope on improving waiting times for truckers.

“Our hope is folks return to work. But our understanding is that’s not going to occur and the drivers are looking for some commitment that the issue of waiting times is either resolved or they’re compensated for their waiting time. That’s not something the port can deliver.”

However, the delays are the biggest issue that drivers want resolved, said Manny Dosange, spokesman for the United Truckers Association,

“If we got rid of (lineups) and dealt with waiting times and the financial burden that puts on drivers, we could get the guys back to work,” Dosange said.

He said drivers who used to make five to six trips per day back and forth to the terminal can only manage two with waiting times factored in, which makes it hard for them to make a living on the per-trip rates that they are paid.

Dosange added that the rates shippers and receivers pay for moving containers, which were last set through mediation in 2005, also need to be increased.

He declined to reveal what the rates are because they vary between union and non-union, and his association is about to enter joint discussions with Unifor on that topic.

However, in 2005 Ready worked out a schedule with the drivers, terminals and ports of rates ranging between $90 and $185 per trip, depending on distance.

Dosange said the drivers’ suggestions for alleviating waiting times include extending the terminal work day to 12 hours and staggering break times for terminal workers so port operations aren’t shut down during those times, which he claims is a big contributor to the backlogs.

If turnaround times can’t be reduced, Dosange said, drivers want the terminals to pay a standby fee for any wait longer than an hour.

Xotta said the port is looking at infrastructure improvements to structurally address the issue. He noted that about 2,000 trucks from 150 companies operate in the port.

He also noted that inbound movement of goods by truck involves “all manner of consumer goods for destination in the Lower Mainland and across the country, with exports handled by trucks primarily forest and agricultural products going to overseas customers.”

The union will hold a strike vote Saturday if a mediator can’t be brought in, said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor area director for B.C. That would give them a mandate to issue a 72-hour strike notice to join the stoppage early next week.

Unifor said if governments and the port don’t develop firm commitments to begin addressing the truckers’ concerns, the work stoppage could escalate.

“This morning’s protest is just the beginning,” said Paul Johal, president of Unifor-VCTA. “Truckers are prepared to escalate job action if the port and both levels of government don’t take our concerns seriously.”

Unifor’s collective agreement expired in June 2012, and the union is demanding increased rates of pay, standardized and enforced across the sector.

Protests among the non-unionized workers began Wednesday morning at the gates of Vanterm facility near downtown Vancouver and at a truck pullout along Highway 91 in Delta.

Eric Waltz, president of TSI, which operates Vanterm and Deltaport, said containers were moving Wednesday, insisting it was business as usual.

“There is less traffic for sure, but we do have trucks coming through the gate and being serviced.”

He said there was no backlog for local delivery being transported by truck.

PMV says the dispute is between the truckers and their employers and that it won’t get in the middle.

Despite Xotta’s concerns, Anming Zhang, professor of operations and logistics at the University of B.C.’s Sauder School of Business, doesn’t believe the dispute will have much of an impact on PMV’s reputation or business.

“I don’t think it will be a plus (for reputation). But this type of labour dispute happens all the time, everywhere, in Los Angeles, Long Beach, everywhere.

“This is the slow part of the year. Before Christmas, it would have more impact. The timing is interesting from the truckers’ point of view. They don’t want to disrupt the public too much, because their livelihoods also depend on (PMV).”

Port Metro Vancouver is North America’s largest export port by tonnage and trades $172 billion in goods annually.

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